Haruno
by Lemony Condom
Summary: Sakura is a young girl in Konohagakure struggling to understand her place. But when war strikes the country, she joins as a boy to save her father from death and restore honor. With the help of new friends and alias can she find her true place? Sasu/saku


"Blah" talking

_Blah_ thinking

**Blah** inner

Disclaimer: I don't own Mulan or Naruto.

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Haruno Sakura sighed lazily as she rolled over on her futon, mumbling nonsense words as the sunlight streamed across her face. Wait, sunlight?

Pink locks flew behind her as she ran down the halls of her compound, quickly yanking on a plain yukata. _I completely forgot about the matchmaker's appointment today!!!_ She burst through the busy streets of Konohagakure; her home village. To passerby's, she probably looked like a mess. Her mouth hung open, her pastel hair tangled and her yukata flapped against her legs wildly.

_Awesome! I'm finally here!_ She slid open the door and kneeled, all the while apologizing profusely.

"I'm sorry! I promise to never be late again and I hope I haven't--" She was cut off by her mother, Mana. "There's my wily daughter. Sakura, are you trying to shame us?" Sakura shook her head profusely, feeling as if her head were going to fly off at any given moment. "No! Never! I mean, I--" She was interrupted again with a firm grip on her wrist and a tug at her obi. "We might as well not waste the time we have left. Come along, dear."

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Sakura's POV 

After my mother slid open the door to an adjacent room, I lost control of what was going on. My yukata and under robe were wrenched off of me, discarded in a heap on the floor. I shivered, realizing I was stark naked in front of a stranger. The short woman snatched my wrist and practically heaved me into a tub with soapy water. It was icy cold, and involuntarily, my teeth chattered. The woman's wrinkles rearranged as she scrutinized my face and figure. "Too skinny," she muttered to herself. While she tugged and scrubbed, I looked around the room.

The tatami mats on the floor were worn with much use. There were mirrors in little nooks and in the corner there was a rack full of colors from shining, silky kimono. _This must be one of the more popular dressers…_

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a curt, "Get up." I complied and was given a towel to dry off. I hurried, although when I was done the woman was already waiting to put on my new under robe. It was a pale yellow with a high white collar, and came just above my ankles. I wanted to ask her what kimono she had chosen for me, but I thought better of it. It didn't matter anyways, they were all pretty. She walked away after tying my under robe, and soon came back with her choice. I felt my eyes widen with astonishment. _It's…magnificent!_

It was a formal kimono, with long open sleeves and dragged to the floor. It was pale silver; the sunshine cascading through the windows made it gleam. Cherry blossom branches crept up from the hem with pink and white petals blowing across navy blue mountains. _No wonder so many people come here... This woman's a genius!_

I felt my face flush with pride as I felt the heavy silk slide over my shoulders and press against my back.

**With this we can get any man! **

_I don't know…what if I fail at the matchmakers? Or if I don't…what if I don't like my groom?_

**You know that has nothing to do with it.**

_Yeah…honor for my family is first. Happiness later._

I heard the woman grunt as she finished fastening my obi, a deep red with crimson hexagons and a gold rope to finish it off. She also had tucked in a light blue sash to flutter behind me as I walked. I smiled slightly in the many arbitrarily placed mirrors, feeling the nervousness begin to build inside of me. I glanced back at my mother uneasily; who was heading to the psychic's to check the almanac.

The rude woman showed me to a small table, where I kneeled and observed various tools for hair and makeup kits. She sat behind me, and began to untangle and style my hair. I took time again to look out the windows, knowing she wouldn't start a conversation.

Out of one a particular one caught my eye. The hospital. _That's where I should be, instead of here sitting pretty._ Only the girls who got schooling could even hope to be nurses, for the field was small and dominated by men. Except for one- Lady Tsunade.

Lady Tsunade was the only woman to get farther than a nurse, and furthermore, any man! Tsunade was the head practitioner in almost all the departments, although her specialty was with the shinobi injuries. She even reports directly to the third Hokage himself!

_If only I could talk with her, just once... She could definitely heal my father's arm._

**Let's do it! Screw tradition!**

_What? What are you saying?!?_

**I say we skip the matchmakers', head to the hospital and find her! That way he can be a proper soldier!**

_How? We aren't injured, and we certainly aren't from nobility…_

**We look like we do.**

I checked a random mirror, and I was right. My hair was in a high bun, but she had parted my bangs and left them down. _Thank Kami-sama…_ She had tied in a blue ribbon behind my bangs and put in various silver trinkets around the bun.

She also had put on some mascara, to bring my green eyes out, and some light blush. I couldn't believe it. I clamped my mouth shut, after realizing I had let it hang in awe. I looked behind me to thank the woman, but she was already greeting someone else at the door.

_Great, she won't notice which way I go then. Now I can restore my father's place among the shinobi, and that's honorable too… right?_

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**Till' next time guys! **

**!!!!READ AND REVIEW OR ELSE!!!!**


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